


Post-Apocalypse

by Unitdelta7



Category: Aftermath - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 21:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11365551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unitdelta7/pseuds/Unitdelta7
Summary: Comet 428_9b hit Earth over 112 years ago. We had seen it coming, but despite our best preparations, little was left and the surface was rendered incapable of supporting human life for a long time. 30 years ago, the first expeditions ventured out of our sanctuary: the appropriately named Ark Bunker designated Ararat City, deepest of the shelters built to weather the storm, and to our knowledge, the only one to survive. We have begun to colonize the area above and around the only home we have ever known. We were prepared. We will survive. But were we the only ones?





	Post-Apocalypse

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Deep Impact](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/303843) by Mimi Leder. 



> A lot of books and movies I've seen/read focus on the Apocalypse, but so few discuss what happens in the far future. I want to change that.

I plod towards the finish, dragging myself exhausted to collapse beyond the line. Some of the other students give me concerned glances as I sit panting against a tree by the line. How can they stand there and not be tired? I mean, yes they did some preparatory physical training while they were still in Ark, but could it really have helped them that much? One of the instructors comes over to me shaking his head. “You run like you don’t know how to walk. Haven’t you done a 300 meter sprint before? I thought it was mandatory for everyone attending Standard Preparatory Training.” As a matter of fact, it was not. It was just something nearly everyone did. I honestly didn't think it would be important. I wanted to stop and look at things; after all I have just lived my whole life until now underground; but all everyone seems to want me to do is learn to run past it all. I try to answer, but all that comes out is a wheeze. He stands up with a frown. “Well, just try to work on that.” Then he walks off leaving me to recover. I stagger to my feet and follow the others to the next activity. Archery. I like archery, but only because I get a closer look at the holographic targets of some of earth’s creatures that survived the comet impact all those years ago. I don’t really want to have to shoot something I have never actually seen before in the flesh. So, with mixed feelings, I make my way through the trees.  
I stand in an open-sided metal room, the bow pulled up to my cheek, examining my target about 100 meters away at the end of the archery range. It is a fully grown red stag, and from this distance it looks so real, I almost can’t take the shot. But I steel myself, take a deep breath; my left hand holding the arrow in the compound bow, my right holding the string; and RELEASE! The arrow flies down the room, its weighted tip simulating an explosive hunting bolt before flying clean through the stag’s holographic head and thudding into the far wall. The rest of the class clap and I grin to myself. I may not be much of a runner, but at least I can do something well. I go to retrieve my arrow and marvel at the hologram as I pass. Although it was plainly not real up close, it was truly remarkable how similar it looked to pictures I had seen in the Ark. The hologram lifted its head to look at me, apparently indifferent to the fact I had just shot an arrow through its head. I pulled my arrow out of the back wall with practised skill, and headed back to the others.  
As I headed back to the group, something caught my eye. Near some trees by the edge of the running track I saw movement in the bushes. There was no wind today. I excused myself from the group, saying I was going to the bathroom. I started off in that direction, but as soon as no-one was looking, I darted off the path and bolted to the tree-line as close as I could to the spot I thought I had seen the movement. I chanced a look around before carefully parting the bushes. Nothing. That was what I saw. I looked down. Footprints. They were very deep, which suggested the person the belonged to had been heavy, or loaded down with something. They were wearing shoes, but I didn't recognise the style. They were chunky, and divided in half horizontally. They were probably perfect for this kind of terrain. I followed the trail with my eyes until it went out of sight behind a tree. I wondered who they belonged to, if they lived here or were from one of the outlying colonies. It never occurred to me to look up. If I had, I would have seen a figure crouching in the shadows, wearing body armour such a dark shade of green, it was almost black. He wore a pair of blacked-out goggles connected by a curly wire to the top of his uniform. The figure silently watched as I walked away, and only when I had gone did he lower the wickedly sharp knife that glinted dully in his right hand.  
Later that evening the sun was setting. It had been a hard day, but I truly felt I had improved at least in a few areas. My core strength has gotten better, all that swimming we've been doing lately has really--- Suddenly the breath was knocked out of me and I found myself on the ground a knee pressed into my throat, choking me! There was a flash of sunlight and my eyes went wide with shock as a knife arced down towards my face! Everything seemed to go in slow motion. My body acted without instruction, my mind had shut down in shock. My right arm shoved my body up and my attacker toppled off of me. I got my first good look at his face. What I could see of it, anyway. He had straggly black hair, which came down to his darkened goggles. His mouth was curled into a sneer, and that was all I had time to notice. He lunged at me, and I shoved myself out of the way and onto my feet. I whirled around and shot away across the grassy meadow that served as our football field. The sun was still setting on my right. At this time, there was no-one around, I would get no help there. We were halfway across the field now, I couldn't hear my pursuer, but I knew he was there. He was like a wraith. My breath came in gasps now, my eyes were as wide as they could go, I felt like I was suffocating. Then I changed tactics. I made an abrupt turn right. Now the sun was in my eyes and I couldn't see, but I knew he couldn't either. By Ark gate 4 was a security office, if I could just get there… Now my attempted killer was right behind me, any minute I expected him to plunge his knife between my shoulder-blades and it would be all over. I felt a hand grab my shirt from behind! My left elbow shot out and smashed back into his goggles. The nose-piece snapped and his goggles flew off. He let go of me to shield his eyes but kept running. At that moment an arm swung out and clotheslined the man and he sprawled out flat on the ground. I realised we had reached Ark gate 4. One of the guards leapt onto my attacker, rolled him over, and had zip-tied his hands together before he could react. Then he snatched the man’s knife. Another guard approached me. He was white with shock. “Are you alright?” He asked me, visually checking me for injuries. I looked down at myself. I had somehow gotten away clean, except… “Aww!” I looked over my shoulder at the seat of my pants. It looked like I’d had an accident; it must have happened when I was pushed to the ground. I began to laugh. I couldn't help it. Even the guard had to hide a smile. Then he led me inside.  
When I had recovered properly and had changed my pants, the sector’s head of security came to visit me. I was quite surprised when she walked into the security office by the gate. I had been expecting my parents. I wondered if they’d even been told what had happened. They must be so worried. She walked over to where I was sitting and took a seat beside me. “Hello, Cody. My name is Lucy, I'm the head of security for sector 4.” She was tall, thin, and wore a plain light blue coat over a white shirt and a skirt the same colour as her coat. She was probably middle-aged, but it is very difficult to tell nowadays because of age-reversal technology. “Umm. Hi. I don’t mean to be blunt, but where are my parents?” The head of security sat back and smoothed her skirt. “You can see them later, but first I need to ask you some questions.” “But where are they?” The head frowned. “We told them you were staying late for extra classes.” “Why would you do that? I was just attacked by some nutcase with a knife! They deserve to know!” Lucy sighed. “That’s what we need to talk to you about. Have you ever seen this man before?” “No! I would have called security if I had seen a man with dark goggles and a knife just rocking around Ararat!” Lucy perked up at this. “He didn't have goggles when we caught him.” “Well, no. I knocked them off when he attacked me.” “Really…” She murmured, but I could tell she wasn't listening anymore. She turned away and lifted her left sleeve to her mouth and spoke into it. “This is SS04 call sign Lima Uniform Charlie Yankee. Send me a search team. We've missed something.” She turned to me, a gleam in her eyes. “Do you know where you knocked of the eyewear?” “I think so, I could show you.”  
We retraced my path back to where I thought I had dislodged the goggles. It was dark by now, but fortunately Lucy had a torch. We eventually came across them lying in the grass. Lucy pulled a rubber glove out of her pocket, put it on and picked up the goggles. She placed to torch in her mouth and with her free hand pulled a plastic bag out of her other pocket. She placed the goggles carefully into this and slipped it into her pocket. “Ok.” She said, sounding satisfied. “I’ll take you back. If anyone asks, you were doing some extra laps on the running track or something. You’re a clever kid, you’ll think of something.” Then she turned around and began walking back towards Ark. “Wait a minute!” I blurted out in protest. “What is this all about? You haven’t told me anything, but you expect me to just lie to my parents about what just happened? You’re dreaming! I could've been killed! My parents deserve to know.” Lucy seemed to realise she wasn't just dealing with some scared kid. She nodded slowly. “I don’t suppose you’ll let up until I tell you.” “No I won’t! I want to know why someone tried to kill me.” “Come with me.” Lucy said.  
We entered the Ark, but just inside gate 4, we turned right and were met by a door I had never noticed before. Lucy placed her hand on a panel by the door and it clicked. She pushed the door open and ushered me through. We went down a narrow hallway and came to another door. Up until now the hallway had been a clean white colour, but just before the door was a black band that went up the walls and across the roof and floor. At waist-height there were three silver veins stacked on top of each other, the same depth as the band. As we approached, they the upper and lower ones split apart from the center vein and floated to the top and bottom of the band on both sides. They turned an orange-yellow colour and emitted a blue force-field that blocked our progress. Lucy stepped forward into it and motioned for me to do the same. The veins turned green and the field vanished. We continued to the door and behind us I could see the veins returning to their original positions.  
Through the door we entered what must have been the security control room. It looked like NASA mission control, like from the historical documentaries I had seen of early space-flight, but a lot more advanced. I only got a brief look, though, before Lucy whisked me through a door near the back. When she closed the door I realised we were in some kind of briefing room. There was a GV mounted to one wall and Lucy tapped it’s screen to turn it on. She tapped her right pocket and something inside lit up. A video file appeared on the screen. It was full of static, but it quickly stabilised. A young man was visible on the screen. He sounded breathless, and I couldn't make out much of what he said. “My name is Mark *crackle* of col- *hiss* 17. We've got problems! *crackle* are *fizzle* can’t stop them! They came too fast. We couldn't-” The young man’s voice was cut off suddenly and the camera tipped backwards. Just before the video feed cut out, I saw a face. It was very blurred, and I couldn't make out any features. Lucy paused it and made a motion like she was high-fiving the GV. The holographic projectors built into the sides of the GV whirred quietly and rendered the image in 3D before us. Lucy made a swiping motion with her right hand across the screen and the image instantly cleared. I gasped and stepped back. It was a different man, but I knew those goggles. Lucy pulled the bag out of her pocket and held it up to hologram. They were the same.


End file.
